Wayland, Lincoln-Sudbury Game Will Spotlight Domestic Violence

WAYLAND, MA — The Friday Wayland High School vs. Lincoln-Sudbury rivalry football game will come with a serious message for everyone in attendance.

Local volunteers will be at the game speaking to students and fans — and the players — about domestic violence. The effort is partially about October being domestic violence awareness month, but also a reminder of how closely partner violence has impacted the two communities.

A decade ago, Wayland High School football player Nathaniel Fujita murdered his former girlfriend and Wayland classmate Lauren Astley. She was found in a marshy area near Sudbury in July 2011, and Fujita has since been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

At Friday's game, both teams will be wearing purple socks, which is the color of domestic violence awareness. Volunteers from the local domestic violence resource REACH will also be on hand to talk to about healthy relationships.

Volunteers with the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund will be auctioning a Tom Brady-signed football to support the nonprofit, which funds education programs around relationships, the arts and community service. Astley was a singer and French horn player with the Metrowest Youth Symphony Orchestra. The fund will also be giving out purple bracelets and selling purple towels to fans.

Friday's game begins at 7 p.m. at Wayland High School, 264 Old Connecticut Path.

More local domestic violence resources:

The MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women is running a series of forums this month focused on different domestic violence issues. Two more are coming up on Oct. 21 and Oct. 28.

The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable frequently hosts local talks and vigils, as well as resources about relationships violence.